So-so reviews can’t hold Tim Burton down. Not only did Alice in Wonderland perform strikingly well at this weekend’s box office earning a whopping $116.3 million, but it broke a number of records including 300’s $70.9 million intake making it the highest grossing March release. It even stole the biggest 3D opening honor from Avatar, which secured the spot with just $77 million.

It doesn’t even end there. Alice also became the biggest non-sequel release of all time, the biggest IMAX opening and the biggest international release for a film debuting between January and April. To top it all off, this is Burton’s most successful release ever demolishing Planet of the Apes’ $68.5 million premiere.

Trailing far behind Alice’s grand total is Brooklyn’s Finest with $13.5 million. That just edged out Shutter Island, which pulled in $13.3 million. Cop Out and Avatar round out the top five with $9.4 million and $7.7 million respectively. Just missing the cut is The Crazies, which took in $7 million.

So will Alice’s success justify the ever-increasing plan to make films 3D? Of course! The key is clearly the higher ticket prices. I’ve seen just one film where the extra dimension actually enhanced the experience and that movie is Avatar. Otherwise, it’s merely a gimmick designed to suck your wallet dry and bloat the box office numbers. Oh well, there’s no point in being bitter. Whether we like it or not, 3D is here to stay and Alice’s massive success proves it.

By Perri Nemiroff (via Coming Soon)